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Foodie: Le Select Bistro

Today’s Foodie post was kindly provided by a guest blogger (and fellow foodie) – Lisa Ng, of The Hip & Urban Girl’s Guide! Enjoy.

Le Select Bistro
432 Wellington St. West, Toronto
416-596-6405
Perfect For: Brunch, Date Night

If you’re looking for an elegant brunch to nurse a long week at work, throw off your PJs and head on over to Le Select Bistro in Toronto. This charming French resto is tucked away on a quiet street right in the heart of the downtown. The main dining room is warm and cozy with dark burgundy banquettes, bentwood chairs and a long bar made of zinc. Around back there is a bright and open atelier and in the summer months, make sure you indulge in a dark coffee on their gorgeous front patio filled with rattan chairs that make you feel like you’re in France.

Le Select is one of those fabulous places that serves up brunch on Saturday AND Sunday. Chef Albert Ponzo uses free-range eggs and the majority of his ingredients are now organic or sustainable. The food is fresh, with no snooty attitudes.  The staff are welcoming, helpful and friendly. It’s an easy place to meet up with family or a large group of friends.  The restaurant has a large capacity, takes reservations for brunch and is busy enough without a half hour wait out the door.

I ordered the Oeufs Forestiers ($15.95) with two poached eggs over  a bed of sauteed mixed mushrooms and served with seared polenta, tomato jam and roasted root vegetables.  All the flavours were buttery and melt-in-your mouth with a little taste of everything.  I didn’t leave feeling greasy or overstuffed. If you’re looking for something heartier, try their juicy Ontario Lamb Burger ($15.95) with Morroccan spices and their crispy frites. My choice for next time would definitely be the Oeufs et Saucisses Fermieres ($13.95) with two eggs, homemade breakfast sausages and Rosti potatoes. It looked like the typical Sunday breakfast of champions with a French twist.  Make sure you top it all off with a Bellini ($7.75) made with sparkling white wine and peach nectar – I mean it’s the weekend after all.  If you’re starving before you even order, grab a freshly baked croissant ($1.95) to tie you over.  They are rated some of the best in Toronto.

Le Select Bistro is easily one of my favourite places in Toronto due to its charm, décor, friendly staff and heavenly food.  It’s a little French escape from the hustle and bustle of Toronto.  I highly recommend it for brunch or even for grabbing lunch by yourself with a good book.  Bon appetit!

Lisa Ng is a lover of great food and sunny destinations. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of The Hip & Urban Girl’s Guide (http://www.hipurbangirl.com)

More photos after the jump!

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Foodie: The Slow Room

The Slow Room
874 College St
Toronto, ON

Foamy macchiatos, yummy muffins, truffle oil pizzettes, and Saturday-only Porchetta sandwiches are only a few reasons why you must visit The Slow Room…and I am kicking myself for not finding it sooner.

As most awesome discoveries, my intro to The Slow Roomwas purely coincidental. Having to kill 30 mins waiting for Phil’s BBQ to open for dinner, le boyfriend and I found ourselves hiding from the rain, deciding to run up to the nearby Starbucks, then passing by The Slow Room, and running in to give it a try instead.

Not a huge lover of muffins, I ordered the Nutella-Banana one on a whim, and it was seriously THE best muffin I’ve tried in my entire life – creamy, chocolatey, and banana-y…more like a cupcake with no frosting than a muffin. Le boyfriend’s Lemon-Ricotta was equally delicious. And the best part is – they are made in-house! Our coffees were pretty amazing too. My macchiatto was smooth and foamy, without the too-bitter taste, and complimented my chocolatey muffin incredibly well.

Another thing that The Slow Room has going for it, is the staff, which is very friendly. As we were finishing our coffees, two plates were brought to us – pizzas, on the house! It was almost closing time, and they didn’t want the food to go to waste. This is definitely the kind of an inviting neighbourhood spot anyone would want to live near.

I’ve already planned my next visit…and it won’t be for quick pre-meal coffees (a little backwards, I know). Next time I’m trying their Eggplant Meat(less) Ball Sandwich…with a Nutella-Banana muffin for desert. My mouth is watering already.

The Slow Room on Urbanspoon

Foodie: Buca

Buca
604 King St. West
Toronto, ON
416-865-1600
Perfect For: Date Night, Girls Night Out

Ever since I saw Buca’s “transcendent” eggplant parmigiana recipe in Toronto Life last month, I’ve been itching to try this newly opened Italian resto. As a fan of good melanzane alla parmigiana, I was hoping that reviews weren’t wrong, and I would finally be able to have a piece of deliciousness, instead of the usual oil-drenched, over-fried, over-breaded mess that I usually see in most restaurants that offer this dish on the menu. Well, my fears were completely unfounded, and Buca is just as good as they say! 

First thing I asked our very attentive waiter for is…you guessed it – eggplant parmigiana. Layers of thinly sliced, lightly breaded eggplant and ricotta, topped with fresh burratta cheese flown in (weekly) from Italy – scrumptious wouldn’t begin to describe this small, but surprisingly flavourful dish. Begrudgingly, I shared a few bites with le boyfriend, before devouring the rest in a few (large) bites. Yum!

Le boyfriend’s appetizer, unfortunately, was less than impressive. Having never tried fried pig’s ears, he decided to be adventurous…and ended up leaving the entire plate unfinished (which very rarely happens). The ears were too oily, too salty, and too…gristly. If you’re into that sort of thing, then by all means go ahead and order away, but if you’re just trying to be adventurous, there are a lot of other dishes on Buca’s ever-changing menu that, I’m sure, would leave you more satisfied.

On to our pastas, quoting my one and only, his goat meat and bone marrow ravioli were “the best pasta” he’s ever had in his entire life…or something to that extent. Salty, a little sweet and savoury, this pasta had a great combination of flavors and textures – definitely one of those slam-dunk successes, that we’d go back to ask for again and again.

Not to give his pasta all the glory, my duck egg tagliatelle with duck ragu was out of this world. Perfectly al dente pasta, meaty sauce – this was comfort food at its best. Triple yum!

Another reason to visit Buca, apart from its outstanding food, is the delightful service. Our waiter was attentive, knowledgeable and very pleasant. Though the snobby older man at a table next to ours was less than pleasant to our waiter, he still remained friendly and didn’t show any signs of annoyance. Now that’s professionalism!

Our trip to Buca was an absolute delight and I will most definitely be back for more! You should know that the menu changes (and is time-stamped) daily, so some of the dishes might not be available at all times. Book a table in advance, unless you want to wait for a (long) while.

Foodie: Enoteca Sociale

Enoteca Sociale
1288 Dundas St. West
Toronto, ON
416-534-1200

Perfect For: Date Night, Girls Night Out
Menu

I really don’t know what took me so long. Enoteca Sociale has been on my “list” for ages now, yet I haven’t set foot in the West End resto until last week. And I am so glad that I finally did.

First of all, I just want to say that hostesses at Enoteca are great! When my friend and I came in without a reservation, there was not a hint of “hollier than thou-ness”, just a friendly smile and a genuine attempt at getting us a table. We were advised that the wait would take around 30 minutes, and that we should grab a drink at the nearby Brockton General, which we did. Not even 30 minutes in, we got a call to let us know that our table is ready. Quick, courteous, perfect!

As we weren’t too hungry when we got in, the tasting menu on the card looked the best – we’d get to try a little bit of everything to gauge what we liked best, all at a price of $45 (split between the two of us). Not bad for antipasto, pasta, main, side, cheese, and dessert, no?

I do believe that the tasting menu gets tweaked once in a while, but whatever we did have that night was pure deliciousness. We started with chef’s choice antipasto, which included rabbit rillette, best-tasting olives ever, and some pickled green beans. All were great, and gone in a flash.

Our pasta dish consisted of a few large pieces of ravioli stuffed with duck pâté – something I’ve never tried in ravioli form. But it was taste bud explosion with every bite! Too bad my friend had to have his carbs that day, otherwise I would’ve definitely hogged well over my half of the plate.

Next, we got a plateful of Beef Tagliata with eggplant, potatoes, and corn. The meat was definitely full of flavor, but I would’ve preferred a bit more eggplant in my dish. For that reason, the ravioli were still the clear winner of the night in my books. For our Contorni, we went with Zucchini in thyme, honey & butter – lightly cooked, crunchy, and very healthy – yum.

Once the plates were licked clean, our waiter brought us some Formaggi e Frutti from Enoteca’s own cheese cave. A little bit of plum, some caramelized pecans, and I’m not exactly sure what kind of cheese we got (chef’s selection once again)…but it was all very good. If only a little too…well, little. But I wouldn’t expect much more from a tasting menu.

To finish off our meal, out came the Ricotta and Peach dessert. Not exactly sure of the name, but it tasted like a typical Neapolitan ricotta-based dessert that I’ve tried once in Switzerland. Delicious whipped ricotta cheese, laced with peach slices and syrup…with granola on top. Screw the granola, I am all about the whipped ricotta – SO. GOOD. Must try to make this at home.

Overall, I am still in a bit of a daze from our Enoteca outing, and have been shouting the restaurant’s name from the rooftops wherever I go…Ok, not exactly from the rooftops, but I am definitely planning a few more outings at this Dundas St. West restaurant. With the inviting staff, delicious food, welcoming ambiance, and apparently one of the best wine lists in the city – there’s no reason for you not to have visited Enoteca Sociale. So if like me, you’ve been procrastinating and delaying your visit, I urge you to finally get off your behind, make a reservation (or not), and RUN to Enoteca Sociale for a yummy meal/hot date/girl’s night out/whatever. It really is as good as they say.

Enoteca Sociale on Urbanspoon

Foodie: Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill

Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill
33 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON
647-260-2070
Perfect For: After-work Drinks, Brunch, Lunch, Date Night, Patio

For the longest time, the coveted corner of Yonge and Front has been occupied by Shopsy’s – the restaurant that I’ve been to a few times, and which left absolutely no impression on this rookie foodie. So when I found out that its days were numbered, there was no sadness on my part – on the contrary, I was super excited to hear that Oliver & Bonacini was coming to take Shopsy’s place!

Yes, O&B is a franchise, and yes, it’s not a cozy mom and pop shop, but it doesn’t mean that it lacks personality – though it did seem like that at a first glance. The restaurant is huge. There are a few dining rooms, stylishly appointed – a far cry from its previous occupant – its minimalistic design is pleasing to the eye, and the huge patio is a godsend on hot summer nights, and for the after-office-hours crowd.

A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by for a quick Sunday afternoon bite without my camera, and last week I came back for brunch (pics below) with le boyfriend and his mom. On my first visit, I went for my staple brunch fare – eggs with bacon and toast ($12.95)…and it was, as expected, great – runny egg yolk and crispy bacon – YUM! Le boyfriend tried their Grilled Chicken Panini with Gazpacho ($13.25) and both were delicious! I am a big fan of the chilled Spanish soup, and I found it very flavourful and refreshing – with chunks of avocado and just the right amount of spiciness.

On our second visit, I opted for a dish that I usually don’t tend to order – Eggs Benedict ($13.50), which came served on scrumptious cheddar scones and covered in hollandaise. I’m not a huge fan of potatoes in the morning, but le boyfriend sure did help himself to the well-seasoned home fries on my plate. It’s ok, because his Poached Eggs ($13.95) didn’t have potatoes, but came with some polenta and veggies. Not a huge fan of polenta, I didn’t try his dish, and it wasn’t le boyfriend’s favorite either. But I guess, it’s a matter of preference.

Last, but not least, le boyfriend’s mom went with Savory Smoked Ham Crepe ($14.95), which she definitely enjoyed, and which also looked like the healthiest dish on our table.

The service was amazing. Our server was extremely accommodating and attentive, refilling our coffees even after we were done eating, and were waiting for the rain to stop. Wish more places treated their customers this way – it definitely made me want to come back again.

Overall, the proximity to my office will absolutely make O&B my new favorite after-work dinner place, and with a great menu, fantastic service, and fun decor, it surely is a great addition to the area. And judging by the daily crowds on the patio – I’m not the only one to think so.

Photo Credits: Top image – Oliver & Bonacini, all others Style Blog

Foodie: Harlem

Harlem East Side
67 Richmond Street East
Toronto, ON M5C 1N9
(416)-368-1920
Perfect For: Brunch, Dinner, Date Night

As an ex-Texan, I can tell you that my love for Southern food runs deep. Give me some corn bread and blackened catfish and I’m a happy camper any day! So when le boyfriend invited me to Harlem for brunch, there was definitely excitement on my part.

The moment you walk through Harlem’s doors, you’re enveloped by the warmth of colors, sounds, and smells. Motown’s best tunes lightly play in the background, as we settle into our comfy booth. There’s lots of choices, and my appetite is always bigger than my stomach, so I have to really pace myself. Le boyfriend goes for a smoked salmon/avocado/fried egg sandwich ($12), while his mom orders Harlem Benny ($12)…not wanting to copycat their orders, I go for the omelette of the day, which happens to be cheese ($10). We order a round of coffees, and enjoy our Sunday morning.

The service was a bit slow at times, but the nice lady that brought us our food informed us that the waiter had fallen ill and she was covering for him that day. Not a big deal for us, and didn’t seem to bother anyone at tables nearby. Both the chef and our server that day could not have been nicer to us!

On to the food. My omelette was simple, but fluffy and delicious, with plenty of cheese (just the way I like it), side salad was again – simple, but fresh…and the only thing I had huge hopes for – the biscuit – left me a tad disappointed, as it has gotten soggy from the salad dressing (next time I’ll ask for it on the side). Le boyfriend’s sandwich was good, but not sensational, and his mom’s eggs benny were slightly spicy, and she genuinely enjoyed every bite.

If you’re into live music, Harlem has a variety of nights for you to attend…from Music is the Answer Wednesdays, when some of Toronto’s most talented musicians, visual and spoken word artists help fundraise for disaster relief in Haiti, to Monday Open Jam nights, and to many others in between – most music lovers would find an event of their liking. 

As far as brunch places go, Harlem offers a few Southern alternatives to the good ol’ eggs and bacon, but I really want to go back for dinner, instead, to try their blackened catfish – the one dish that I wasn’t able to find at too many Toronto restaurants, and their fried chicken has been touted as one of the best in the city. With a promising dinner menu, friendly service, and a nice patio for those last few warm summer nights, I am sure we’ll be back to Harlem in no time.

Foodie: Hoof Café

Hoof Café
923 Dundas St W
Toronto, ON M6J 1W2
(416) 792-7511
Perfect For: Brunch

Was originally going to post Capocaccia review before this one, but then decided that reviewing mediocrity and poor service is less of a fun task, than writing about the yumminess of the Hoof Café! Am I right or am I right?

As a long-time lover of the Black Hoof, I’ve been curious about its little sister the Hoof Café for a while now. And this Canada Day, when Al and I decided to venture out to Saving Grace for brunch, which was closed, we ended up at the Hoof Café instead and I am happy that we did.

Instead of being adventurous this time around, both of us went with Brioche French Toast ($12), which was quite small, compared to other portions of French toast around the city, but definitely full of flavor, and so yummy, that no crumb was spared in its devouring.

And since we still had room for more, and since both Hoofs are famous for their charcuterie, we got us an order of Ploughman’s ($14). A little bit of prosciutto, duck, mortadella, terrine,  some crostini, and much more, and I am transported right back into my childhood, where breakfast would consist of salami or mortadella on a piece of toast with cheese and butter. Homemade and delicious. Just like the lovely Hoof Café.

The service is knowledgeable, friendly and consistent. The atmosphere is airy, and comfortable. We both leave happy and satisfied, ready to take on Toronto on this lazy afternoon. Certain that we will definitely be coming back for more.

Foodie: School Bakery & Café

School Bakery & Café
70 Fraser Ave
Toronto, ON
(416) 588-0005
Perfect For: Brunch

School’s out for summer, but a couple of weeks ago, I gladly (and voluntarily) went to School…School Bakery & Café that is. Though I originally thought that a visit to SBC would be a cool surprise for le boyfriend, he went on to inform me that he was the one who suggested this place months ago, and I was just probably not paying attention. Well, it didn’t matter who discovered the place, School Bakery & Café is one cool restaurant – and is perfect for brunch!

First of all, there are a lot of tables – it is crucial to have generous seating for the hungry masses on Sunday afternoons, when most brunch places have snaking line-ups. We waited for 5 minutes before getting a table, and another 15 to get the menus – it seemed that they were a bit understaffed. Needless to say, when food arrived, taking photos for the blog escaped both our minds and we all but licked out plates clean.

One of my favorite things about SBC brunch was the variety of dishes on the menu. It’s not just your regular eggs and bacon and toast. No, at SBC you are treated to tempting dishes such as “Overstuffed Croissant of Smoked Salmon and Spicy Scrambled Eggs”, “Super Cheesy French Toast”, and “Chipotle Biscuit Sandwich”. And though I wanted to sample every dish on the menu, I settled on Caramelized Banana Pancakes ($15) with a side of bacon ($3), while le boyfriend went with the Overstuffed Popover with Gruyère, Smoked Bacon, and Greens ($11). Both were delicious, though I must add that the bananas on my pancakes were not at all caramelized and the coffee was sub-par. But even that didn’t change the fact that I want to come back to SBC for brunch, lunch, and dinner, as all three menus are permanently etch-a-sketched in my mind.

And the decor…it’s almost worth a trip to School just for the ambiance. Pencils, and blackboards, and apples…oh my! There are flat-screen TVs to watch the World Cup, patios to enjoy the sun, and baked goodies to round out your meal…what’s not to like? If you find yourself looking for a new place to try in the Liberty Village, try going to School…you might enjoy it for once.

Foodie: Saving Grace

Saving Grace
907 Dundas Street West
Toronto, ON
(416) 703-7368
Perfect For: Brunch

I’ve been a terrible girl, I completely forgot about this Saving Grace post, and now it’s been literally months since my last visit. Well, we’re heading into the long weekend, and if you’re staying put in the city, perhaps trying a new brunch place is in order?

Saving Grace is a teeny-tiny eatery on Dundas St. West, that does not take reservations, and seats about 20. They have a clipboard, hanging by the door, for you to put your name down (with about 15 other names waiting ahead of you), and then you can wander off for an hour or so (2 hours in our case) before it is your turn to be seated. I know this doesn’t sound very appealing, because noone likes to wait for their food on a Sunday morning, right? Well, in Saving Grace’s case, the wait is well worth it!

By the time we got a table, both le boyfriend and I were desperately hungry…and smelling and seeing delicious somethings on other people’s plates definitely did not help. The blackboard inside the restaurant showcases daily specials and all-time favorites. Having heard that their Caramelized Banana French Toast was delish, my sweet tooth ordered just that, while le boyfriend opted for Poached Eggs with Coconut Black Rice, served with some veggies and toast.

The toast, the caramelized bananas, the maple syrup…it was all perfection. Gooey, sweet, crunchy, soft perfection. I almost bit le boyfriend’s hand for trying to steal a piece of toast off my plate…that’s how freaking delicious that toast was. The.Best.I’ve.Ever.Had. His rice and potatoes, too, were something extraordinary! Smooth, flavorful and delicate…I wish more of my meals were this good.

The service at Saving Grace is efficient and friendly, the setting is quirky, and selections are vast. It was definitely one of my most memorable brunches ever. There’s nothing bad to say about this place whatsoever…except for the wait. But if we could do it in the midst of the freezing cold winter, I think waiting around in the summer should be a piece of French Toast cake. Especially, with The Communal Mule Espresso Bar just down the street, where you can grab a coffee, read the paper, relax at one of their cool wooden tables, before heading back to Saving Grace to see if your table opened up. After all, good things come to those who wait.

Foodie: Tom’s Dairy Freeze

Tom’s Dairy Freeze
630 The Queensway
Toronto, ON
(416) 259-1846
Perfect For: Ice-Cream, Hot-Dogs, and Sunshine

It’s been a few years since I moved to Toronto, and I never looked at sunshine the same way again. Not to bore you with my Houston stories, but truth is…it’s sunny there almost all the time. Sure, there are hurricanes and all that jazz, but more often than not – it is sunny. Not so in Toronto. Which is why I tend to grab each sunny day by its horns and enjoy it to the max.

Well, last weekend was a perfect opportunity to enjoy some sunshine and some well-deserved ice-cream, after le boyfriend and I ran/rollerbladed a huge chunk of Lakeshore! Not falling for the proximity of those ice-cream trucks, we held out for the better, yet farther option of Tom’s Dairy Freeze. This little hole-in-the-wall has been open since 1969, and judging by the hordes of ice-cream lovers we encountered last weekend, it’s got no signs of slowing down.

The menu at Tom’s is quite extensive, and most everything is customizable to your liking. Le boyfriend’s fave is Parfait, which seems to be layered with nuts, strawberries, chocolate syrup, and who knows what else. I got a small banana split (which was quite huge to be honest), and a hot-dog. This is obviously not a fine-dining establishment, but their ice-creams are so darn delicious, I didn’t want to stop ordering. Oh, and if you’re wondering about the hot-dog, it was grilled to perfection and was very very tasty!

There’s quite a few parking spots around Tom’s Dairy Freeze, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding a place to park. But do make sure to bring cash, as they do not accept credit cards nor debit. And once you’ve ordered – grab a wooden bench, stretch out your legs, grab a spoon, and enjoy your summer!

Tom's Dairy Freeze on Urbanspoon

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